If they had concerns that led them to have to hire someone else due to them, they wouldn't have hired Hextall.
- MJL

Right, so why do you think they hired Burke? Burke does not come across to me as someone who, especially at his age, is wanting to patiently work through a rebuild.

Yup... who won that series? The Flyers.
- bmeltzer

Bill, get that poster some burn cream.

He was an average GM at the end of the day. What has Burke ever really done?
- login

Won a Stanley cup.

Some forget just how out of whack the Flyers' cap situation was and how utterly bare the cupboard was before he took over.

Have a feeling that Hexy's gonna do a great job in Pittsburgh with whatever lessons he learned from getting axed here.

Flyers fans should be nervous.
- Tomahawk[/quot
Letang, Crosby and Malikin will be gone by the time Hextall makes it right.

He was an average GM at the end of the day. What has Burke ever really done?
- login

Challenging Kevin Lowe to a barn fight was legendary.

Right, so why do you think they hired Burke? Burke does not come across to me as someone who, especially at his age, is wanting to patiently work through a rebuild.
- jd250

Pres of Hockey Ops tends to be an advisory role -- a sounding board.

Right, so why do you think they hired Burke? Burke does not come across to me as someone who, especially at his age, is wanting to patiently work through a rebuild.
- jd250

I don't know why we would assume there would be a rebuild. Burke is a strong minded old school hockey guy set in his ways. Hextall is the opposite. Seems like it could be an oil and water situation.

Pres of Hockey Ops tends to be an advisory role -- a sounding board.
- Tomahawk

I don't think so. President of hockey operations is the head cheese in the hockey ops department. The GM is under his authority.

I don't think so. President of hockey operations is the head cheese in the hockey ops department. The GM is under his authority.
- MJL

Burke had the same title w/ the Flames and wasn't directly involved in player decisions. Same w/ Ron Francis now in Carolina.

Guess it could be different w/ the Pens, but I don't expect so.

You’d really think that both of these guys knew the others’ hire was imminent, right?

I mean, who would blindside the other hire on the same day they get the job?

I’d have to think that logically, not only did they know about the other, but maybe even talked. Maybe one recommended the other?!

They absolutely do seem like oil and water, but I don’t think anyone could be so foolish as to do this without their recent hire(s) being completely informed.

Hextall never got the chance to add the accoutrements here like he was able to help do in LA (and they were quite successful in that, might I add).

He was JUST getting there in Philly, and right before he could finish the final veteran scoring pieces, the rug got pulled.

Even if he doesn’t get the ability to finish the job again in Pittsburgh, I can guarantee you they’ll no longer have a bottom feeder for a farm system.

At the very least, this could mean the last run for Crosby until he’s ready to hang em up. Hextall will be slicing and dicing that team in no time looking for every way possible to get picks.
- Hesh_

Good use of “accoutrements” and I’ll add “truculence” from another post. 👏👍

Giroux and Braun added to Covid list 😭

Hextall is a miserable C***.

Not sorry he moved on, I AM sorry Covid will apparently never end.

Yup... who won that series? The Flyers.
- bmeltzer

Well sure, but since then the Penguins have won 5 cups, and how many have the Flyers won?

With hex to pens it’ll depend on a lot. And what patience they have. He may be able to retool or go for a rebuild. Why Crosby is still young you have to think a retool. But hex will do what he can to restock their system. I just hope they don’t have the patience. Burke will fire him year three. And they will push for Crosby’s last dance.

Right, so why do you think they hired Burke? Burke does not come across to me as someone who, especially at his age, is wanting to patiently work through a rebuild.
- jd250

It's interesting, as I think they hired Burke for a few reasons. His experience and how he's a straight shooter with handling players and personnel could greatly benefit Ron. More than that, Burke can cover/insulate Hextall from all sorts of questions and criticism and just let him work. Burke will field all the tough questions, and sell ideas to the CEO and ownership. For instance, if Ron needs to be a hatchetman and deal away some faces of the franchise, Burke will field the questions/fallout. Just look at the press conference...Burke was doing most of the talking, and I think Hextall prefers that. It's by design.

Burke had the same title w/ the Flames and wasn't directly involved in player decisions. Same w/ Ron Francis now in Carolina.

Guess it could be different w/ the Pens, but I don't expect so.
- Tomahawk

Francis is not in Carolina. He is the GM for Seattle. President of hockey operations is above the GM in the team hierarchy.

I wouldn't be too worried about Hextall in Pittsburgh. They have been always used to being a contender and I have serious doubts they will be patient with Hextall and his approach.

They are 5-5--1 with Sid,Geno,and Letang. Imagine what happens when the other two not named Crosby are dealt and they are starting over. Sure Hextall will nail the draft and restock the bare cupboard of prospects Pittsburgh has. But rest assured they will give him about 4 or 5 years and they haven't got back to those glory days they'll tell Ron to kick rocks like we did.

Hextall will right the ship but teams will be too impatient to let guys like that see it through.

I wouldn't be too worried about Hextall in Pittsburgh. They have been always used to being a contender and I have serious doubts they will be patient with Hextall and his approach.

They are 5-5--1 with Sid,Geno,and Letang. Imagine what happens when the other two not named Crosby are dealt and they are starting over. Sure Hextall will nail the draft and restock the bare cupboard of prospects Pittsburgh has. But rest assured they will give him about 4 or 5 years and they haven't got back to those glory days they'll tell Ron to kick rocks like we did.

Hextall will right the ship but teams will be too impatient to let guys like that see it through.
- Pelle31Forever

Yes....but Hextall didn't really nail drafts. Look at what he passed over and what he look at what he took......Pastrnak, Debrincat and Miro versus Sanheim, Laberge and Patrick.

Yes....but Hextall didn't really nail drafts. Look at what he passed over and what he look at what he took......Pastrnak, Debrincat and Miro versus Sanheim, Laberge and Patrick.
- ClutchFlyer

Fair point but it's not as if the guys he took instead of those guys are shlubs either.

Francis is not in Carolina. He is the GM for Seattle. President of hockey operations is above the GM in the team hierarchy.
- MJL

Sorry, when he was w/ Carolina*

It's already been reported that Burke's role will be advisory in terms of hockey decisions, and acting as a liason between Hexy and David Morehouse. He's not there to act as a 2nd GM or to loom over day-to-day decisions.

Yes....but Hextall didn't really nail drafts. Look at what he passed over and what he look at what he took......Pastrnak, Debrincat and Miro versus Sanheim, Laberge and Patrick.
- ClutchFlyer

Really stupid argument.

There is no team in hockey that always grabs the best player at all their draft picks. Not Detroit under Holland/Hakan Andersson. Not the Hawks. Not the Bolts. Go thru everybody's draft history... hindsight makes everybody look stupid.

Hexy doesn't even look bad in retrospect...

You mention Pasta, but look at the dozen or so names that haven't done poop taken AHEAD of Sanheim. Flyers got one of the few good players from a thin 1st round, and Sanheim wasn't even ranked in the top-30 pre-draft.

Patrick was a no-brainer at #2 -- nobody was talking about Miro at that spot. Let's not beat that dead horse again.

A lot of teams passed on Debrincat. The past few Cup champions all passed on him. Tampa pass on him twice, like the Flyers did.

And funny how you don't mention the absolute steals that TK and Oskar turned out to be. And Phil Myers. Egg on all the other GMs' faces for missing out on those.

It's interesting, as I think they hired Burke for a few reasons. His experience and how he's a straight shooter with handling players and personnel could greatly benefit Ron. More than that, Burke can cover/insulate Hextall from all sorts of questions and criticism and just let him work. Burke will field all the tough questions, and sell ideas to the CEO and ownership. For instance, if Ron needs to be a hatchetman and deal away some faces of the franchise, Burke will field the questions/fallout. Just look at the press conference...Burke was doing most of the talking, and I think Hextall prefers that. It's by design.
- Flyerfan2868

Interesting perspective, thank you!

May work out for the nhls pocket if they continue to postpone games. Vaccine is rolling. Once it opens for more people after those who require it first. People may be allowe in the stadiums. I’m sure we have all seen the plans for possible fans.

Yes....but Hextall didn't really nail drafts. Look at what he passed over and what he look at what he took......Pastrnak, Debrincat and Miro versus Sanheim, Laberge and Patrick.
- ClutchFlyer

The same can be done with every GM and with every draft. Hextall drafted very well.